Season 8: News, Spoilers And Leaks

[Newstar]

3 hours ago, larastone said:

So now I'm thinking only the very minor characters like Pod, Beric, Tormund will die at WF (and maybe another dragon? who knows.) and that the main purge of secondary characters like Euron, Melisandre and Varys will come in episode 5. And that Jaime and Cersei both die in episode 6 (if the rumors are true about D&D directing dragon vs dragon battle for ep 6, that along with Jaime and Cersei's death will securely an Emmy win for them).

I think you’ve nailed it. With all the villain deaths backloaded to the very end of the show, that makes it less likely in my opinion that there will be big character deaths on Team Jon/Dany...which of course dovetails nicely with the 1993 outline that stated that the main five would make it through all the books.

 

[larastone]

2 hours ago, Newstar said:

I think you’ve nailed it. With all the villain deaths backloaded to the very end of the show, that makes it less likely in my opinion that there will be big character deaths on Team Jon/Dany...which of course dovetails nicely with the 1993 outline that stated that the main five would make it through all the books.

 

yeah neither jaime or cersei dying in season 8 kind of cemented that none of the starks, jon, dany, tyrion would die in season 8 because the jaime and cersei deaths would be the big deaths of season 8

[of man and wolf]

Any news on the direwolves???

[Newstar]

8 hours ago, larastone said:

yeah neither jaime or cersei dying in season 8 kind of cemented that none of the starks, jon, dany, tyrion would die in season 8 because the jaime and cersei deaths would be the big deaths of season 8

I agree. One of the PR buzzwords for Season 8 seems to be "heartbreaking," so I'm wondering if they're setting up the viewership to fear the worst only to smack them square between the eyes with a (relatively) happy ending. GRRM has said over (and over) again that he was going for the LOTR ending in terms of tone, and the LOTR ending was relatively happy, once the Shire got cleaned up. The ending of GOT won't all be rainbows and puppies, of course; it seems as if both Winterfell and KL will be destroyed, with significant casualties, and I wouldn't be surprised if the dragons die as well. I think Team Jon/Dany will be largely intact by the end, though.

I've thought for a while that the main five are safe. Sansa I'm on the fence about, but if the Seville stuff shot during the day is from after the battle, Sansa definitely makes it, since Sophie filmed in Seville.

...This may be why some of the cast members have indicated that the ending is surprising and may be divisive. If it's too happy, some fans may feel cheated. If you have all this ominous foreshadowing but pretty much everyone survives, it may feel like a copout to some.

To be honest, I'm a little worried about the finale. Complicated battle sequences with lots of moving parts + a ton of greenscreen + inexperienced directors = ??? I get why D&D want their directors' Emmy, but I'd rather it not be at the expense of the show.

[larastone]

1 hour ago, Newstar said:

I agree. One of the PR buzzwords for Season 8 seems to be "heartbreaking," so I'm wondering if they're setting up the viewership to fear the worst only to smack them square between the eyes with a (relatively) happy ending. GRRM has said over (and over) again that he was going for the LOTR ending in terms of tone, and the LOTR ending was relatively happy, once the Shire got cleaned up. The ending of GOT won't all be rainbows and puppies, of course; it seems as if both Winterfell and KL will be destroyed, with significant casualties, and I wouldn't be surprised if the dragons die as well. I think Team Jon/Dany will be largely intact by the end, though.

I've thought for a while that the main five are safe. Sansa I'm on the fence about, but if the Seville stuff shot during the day is from after the battle, Sansa definitely makes it, since Sophie filmed in Seville.

...This may be why some of the cast members have indicated that the ending is surprising and may be divisive. If it's too happy, some fans may feel cheated. If you have all this ominous foreshadowing but pretty much everyone survives, it may feel like a copout to some.

To be honest, I'm a little worried about the finale. Complicated battle sequences with lots of moving parts + a ton of greenscreen + inexperienced directors = ??? I get why D&D want their directors' Emmy, but I'd rather it not be at the expense of the show.

Yeah same here. Although I bet d and d have some of the best people in the industry helping them out. I don't know why we ever thought the finale would be just an epilogue tbh. 5 episodes clearly wasn't enough to wrap up all the action. 

I'm not reading too much into what the cast is saying. But to be fair, it could still have its heartbreaking moments even with a relatively happy ending.

[Newstar]

1 hour ago, larastone said:

Yeah same here. Although I bet d and d have some of the best people in the industry helping them out. I don't know why we ever thought the finale would be just an epilogue tbh. 5 episodes clearly wasn't enough to wrap up all the action. 

I'm not reading too much into what the cast is saying. But to be fair, it could still have its heartbreaking moments even with a relatively happy ending.

Yeah, Sophie Turner just did an interview where she was gushing about how unpredictable the ending supposedly is. 

[larastone]

16 minutes ago, Newstar said:

Yeah, Sophie Turner just did an interview where she was gushing about how unpredictable the ending supposedly is. 

Yeah just saw on freefolk. I like this comment about it:

"For casuals, this entire series down to the name has been about who 'wins' the Iron Throne.

It being melted down and no one claiming it is the simple, uNeXpEcTeD twist for most viewers. Not that a monarchy won't exist in some form, but the chair everyone's been fighting over is destroyed."

 

but still yeah not a good idea to think too much of what they're saying. We know very little about season 8, if we think of too detailed scenarios that's just us writing fanfic in our minds for the moment 

 

 

 

 

[Newstar]

2 minutes ago, larastone said:

Yeah just saw on freefolk. I like this comment about it:

"For casuals, this entire series down to the name has been about who 'wins' the Iron Throne.

It being melted down and no one claiming it is the simple, uNeXpEcTeD twist for most viewers. Not that a monarchy won't exist in some form, but the chair everyone's been fighting over is destroyed."

 

but still yeah not a good idea to think too much of what they're saying. We know very little about season 8, if we think of too detailed scenarios that's just us writing fanfic in our minds for the moment 

 

 

 

 

Betting was suspended in the UK because a rush of people suddenly started betting on Bran sitting the Iron Throne, and in all fairness that is an ending I would consider truly surprising.

[larastone]

7 minutes ago, Newstar said:

Betting was suspended in the UK because a rush of people suddenly started betting on Bran sitting the Iron Throne, and in all fairness that is an ending I would consider truly surprising.

lol that would really surprise me. I find it hard to imagine though with how much of a shaft Bran has gotten on the show. I think if IT does exist, jonerys will share it.

[Newstar]

20 minutes ago, larastone said:

lol that would really surprise me. I find it hard to imagine though with how much of a shaft Bran has gotten on the show. I think if IT does exist, jonerys will share it.

"I can't be lord of Winterfell. I can't be lord of anything...but I can be king of everything. Lord =/= king. Sorry if that was unclear."

I'm of two minds with the "The ending is oh so unpredictable" line from actors (Maisie, Sophie, and a few others). Either it's PR bullshit to serve as a smokescreen for Jon/Dany on the Iron Throne (since if the ending is super predictable, would they really say so?), or it genuinely is that surprising.

I'm okay if the ending is predictable if it provides a satisfying conclusion to everything that's gone before.

I'm also okay if the ending is surprising as long as it's not some shit that makes a mockery of everything that preceded it or is just shocking for the sake of shocking.

[larastone]

1 hour ago, Newstar said:

"I can't be lord of Winterfell. I can't be lord of anything...but I can be king of everything. Lord =/= king. Sorry if that was unclear."

I'm of two minds with the "The ending is oh so unpredictable" line from actors (Maisie, Sophie, and a few others). Either it's PR bullshit to serve as a smokescreen for Jon/Dany on the Iron Throne (since if the ending is super predictable, would they really say so?), or it genuinely is that surprising.

I'm okay if the ending is predictable if it provides a satisfying conclusion to everything that's gone before.

I'm also okay if the ending is surprising as long as it's not some shit that makes a mockery of everything that preceded it or is just shocking for the sake of shocking.

Mostly I just want the absolute monarchy to be dismantled. I’m fine with whomever ending in power as long as they’re a main lol

[btfu806]

5 hours ago, Newstar said:

and I wouldn't be surprised if the dragons die as well.

I think the dragons will all die, I see the end of the series being the end of magic and dragons.
 

I am with you two as to not knowing what the heartbreaking/unexpected twist could possibly be. I think all the mains are safe and the big death this season will be Cersei. I guess it might be the deaths of the Dragons? Maybe?I can't see the big twist or "heartbreak" scene being a death scene. They have done that a fair amount.... IDK.

[DisneyDoc2425]

I agree with the view that the Iron Throne needs to go. As far as Daenerys surviving is concerned it is my view that something will need to be done to resolve/change some of her characterological traits (obsessions with fire, gaining the throne, the need for absolute power and control) which have resulted over the seasons in her exhibiting questionable and cruel behaviors. I am not trying to paint her here as the villain of the story. However I do think these issues need to be addressed. I could see her surviving the battles and as a result of all the deaths and destruction agreeing to give up her claim to the throne and working with everyone left to rebuild Westeros in a new manner. However I could then see her subsequently sitting rocking her child (children) in front of a fireplace with a roaring fire in her last scene. She stares at the fire, develops the coy smile on her face she has exhibited in the past, and says to her child (children) “Don’t worry. I will personally make sure everything will be right for you and your children in the future” You can interpret this as you wish.

[Newstar]

52 minutes ago, btfu806 said:

I think the dragons will all die, I see the end of the series being the end of magic and dragons.

The dragons, yes, but I don't think there will be anything as dramatic as The End of Magic. You can't really end magic without killing off Jon, Dany, Arya, Bran, and Sansa, all of whom are magical beings: wargs, carriers of magical blood, magic users, etc. Heck, Jon is currently being kept alive by magic, so if magic goes, so does he.

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I am with you two as to not knowing what the heartbreaking/unexpected twist could possibly be.

I suspect that "heartbreaking" is just a buzzword the GOT PR folks fed the cast when they're talking up Season 8, so it may not be all it's cracked up to be.

I'm curious about the third WTF twist from the books, which D&D have said is from the very end of the show.

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I think all the mains are safe and the big death this season will be Cersei. I guess it might be the deaths of the Dragons?

Agreed and agreed. Rumour has it that there is a big Dany/Drogon vs. NK/Viserion fight in 8x06...which makes sense because why turn one dragon into a wight unless it's going to fight another dragon?--which to me means that Rhaegal probably dies at the battle of Winterfell (to even the odds). 

 

[btfu806]

3 minutes ago, Newstar said:

The dragons, yes, but I don't think there will be anything as dramatic as The End of Magic. You can't really end magic without killing off Jon, Dany, Arya, Bran, and Sansa, all of whom are magical beings: wargs, carriers of magical blood, magic users, etc. Heck, Jon is currently being kept alive by magic, so if magic goes, so does he.

I did not think about that. I will have to reformulate my thoughts on that haha. Maybe they don't die (Jon I can't explain yet) but they lose their magical abilities ... idk. I just always assumed GRRM focused on this time period because it's when magic makes its way back into the world and for me it would make sense that magic would be gone by the end, or maybe slowly going...

 

5 minutes ago, Newstar said:

I'm curious about the third WTF twist from the books, which D&D have said is from the very end of the show.

I am really interested in this. Honestly, I thought the first two were not explained that well in the show, so I am curious how the book handles it (Shireen is a little more explained but still, I just didn't believe Stannis would do that) and the time travel paradox is never really explained with Hodor ... but anyway! they were really far out there and things I would never have thought of. So really interested in what the third one could be. But if it's just the death of the dragons, that's kinda ho hum in my opinion.  

[btfu806]

12 minutes ago, DisneyDoc2425 said:

As far as Daenerys surviving is concerned it is my view that something will need to be done to resolve/change some of her characterological traits (obsessions with fire, gaining the throne, the need for absolute power and control) which have resulted over the seasons in her exhibiting questionable and cruel behaviors.

A part of me thought the show was going to go in the direction of making her the bad guy at the end of all of this (especially after some season 7 choices she made). What we thought would be a better ruler in the end, ends up being worse... I could see it but I know her fans would hate it..

[alienarea]

I don't have anything that is pointing towards it, but wouldn't it be a "shocking twist" to have Jaime on the Iron Throne in the end?

My line of thinking is that he sat on  it after slaying the king (his father?) and after all the fighting he sits it again.

And maybe, just like in LOTR ending, those touched by magic board a ship to the Summer Isles because Westeros is lost to them even though the final battle was won?

[larastone]

1 minute ago, alienarea said:

I don't have anything that is pointing towards it, but wouldn't it be a "shocking twist" to have Jaime on the Iron Throne in the end?

My line of thinking is that he sat on  it after slaying the king (his father?) and after all the fighting he sits it again.

And maybe, just like in LOTR ending, those touched by magic board a ship to the Summer Isles because Westeros is lost to them even though the final battle was won?

Jaime is 100% doomed.

[Newstar]

38 minutes ago, btfu806 said:

I am really interested in this. Honestly, I thought the first two were not explained that well in the show, so I am curious how the book handles it (Shireen is a little more explained but still, I just didn't believe Stannis would do that) and the time travel paradox is never really explained with Hodor ... but anyway! they were really far out there and things I would never have thought of. So really interested in what the third one could be.

I suspect that the third WTF twist is something which is sort of separate from the "main plot" and can be kind of hived off by itself, as the other two big twists (Hodor, Shireen) involved minor characters and didn't really tie into the overarching plot or big questions of the show.

Maybe it's the identity of the speaker Varys heard in the flames...? I don't know why that would be from the very end of the show, though. 

36 minutes ago, btfu806 said:

A part of me thought the show was going to go in the direction of making her the bad guy at the end of all of this (especially after some season 7 choices she made). What we thought would be a better ruler in the end, ends up being worse... I could see it but I know her fans would hate it..

I don't get the vibe that Dany is being set up as an endgame ruler--too much handwringing from Tyrion and Varys over the Tarly thing--but I've been wrong before, so...

Dany's endgame hasn't been clearly telegraphed in the show (although I will be shocked if she and Jon don't have a miracle baby), but there are a few characters in the show for whom that's true:

Melisandre: Dies (in Westeros)

Varys: Dies (possibly because he betrayed Dany...?)

Cersei: Dead, and Jaime has something to do with it

Jaime: Dead, and Cersei has something to do with it

The Mountain: Killed by Sandor (presumably for good)

Sam: Warden of the South (released from NW, probably because it's dissolved)

Missandei: Goes back to Naath

Grey Worm: Accompanies Missandei to Naath (this isn't from the show itself but apparently there was something in the leaked summaries for Season 7 about how Naath needed protecting, etc. etc.)

Anyone other than that, I dunno. Tyrion gets his winery, I guess...?

[alienarea]

In my understanding Daenerys is a female Achilles (who was nearly invulnerable due to fire) and destined for battle and dying early.

She'll defeat the Night King but die  from something unexpected. Varys? I have a feeling the speaker he heard in the flames is either Aerys or Rhaegar, and his manhood was needed for some dragon ritual?